Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED APR. 23, 19 7.

T ME TO m R M T :8 E Rm W APPKIUATION FILED JUNE 18, 1906.

1m: NORRIS PETERS co, wxsnuym'ou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed June 18,1906. Serial No. 322,684.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEARL LEwIs MARTIN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Marys, in the county ofWarren and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and usefulVVire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification. The objectof my inventiontis to provide a Wire stretcher of simple, durable andinexpensive construction designed to stretch a wire past the post towhich the stretcher is attached; to provide a main supporting bar formedwith upturned marginal edges designed to protect the sliding notched barand also to strengthen the main bar so that it may be made of lightmaterial and also to provide a stretcher of this kind that may beadapted for use as a wire splicer.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows aplan view of the complete stretcher applied to a post and in en gagementwith a fence wire as required in practical use. Fig. 2 shows a sectionalview of same on the indicated line of 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows asectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the referencenumeral 10 to indicate the body portion of the main supporting bar ofthe stretcher. This body portion has its side margins extended upwardlyat 11 and then inwardly at 12. This structure of the main supporting barmakes it strong and durable and provides 'a supporting bar of this'kindthat may, if desired, be made of sheet metal. Riveted to one end of thebar is an arm 13 extending beyond said end longitudinally of the bar andprovided with a curved wire guide 14 having an opening in its side at15. Said arm is also formed with a lateral extension 16 having a chain17 fixed thereto and also having a hook 18 designed to be detachablyconnected with the links of said chain. On the end of the chain is awire clamp 19 of ordinary construction.

Slidingly mounted within the main bar is a ratchet bar 20 comprising astraight piece of metal with notches 21 in its sides, the said notcheson one side being arranged between those on the other side. Fixed to oneend of the ratchet bar 20 is a wire clamp 22 of ordinary construction.

Fulcrumed to the end of the main supporting bar opposite from theextension 13 is a lever 23 having two pawls 24 pivoted thereto onopposite sides of its center. These pawls are of such shape that one endof each may engage the notches 21 and the other end stand close to theside of the main supporting bar.

By means of this curved arrangement of the pawls, the operator may graspthe lever 23 and reciprocate it and when said lever is moved in onedirection, one of the pawls will be forced into a notch at one side ofthe ratchet bar and thus cause the ratchet bar to be advanced while theother pawl will withdraw from a notch in the other side of the ratchetbar and be moved toward the center of the main supporting bar untilafter the lever approaches the end of its stroke. The curved end of thepawl will strike upon the side of the main supporting bar and thus forcethe pawl into the next notch of the ratchet bar. By this arrangement,the pawl will operate properly without any springs and the ratchet barwill be advanced one notch space on the lever 23.

In practical use, the chain 17 is passed around a post and connectedwith the hook 18. Then the fence wire to be stretched is passed throughthe opening 15 of the hook 14 and then the wire is placed in the gripdevice 22. Then the operator manipulates the lever 23 to move the gripdevice past the post and this operation is continued until the wire isstretched. Then the wire may be secured to the post and the grip devicereleased. By having the arm 18 arranged to engage the fence Wirebeing'stretched, it is obvious that the stretcher will always be firmlyheld in line with the wire. If it is desired to splice wire, theoperator grasps one wire in the grip device 22 and the other wire in thegrip device 19. Then the lever 23 is oscillated, as before described,and the two wires will be drawn together and may then be spliced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States, therefor is 1. In a wire stretcher,the combination of a main supporting-bar with upturned side margins,means connected with one edge of the main supporting bar for attachingit to a I post, a lever fulcrumed to the other end of the mainsupporting bar and having two pawls pivoted thereto on opposite sides ofthe main supporting bar, a bar having ratchet teeth on its edgesslidingly mounted Within the margins of the main supporting bar andsubstantially the same length as the main supporting bar, said ratchetteeth designed to be engaged by said pawls and a wire gripping device onthe end of the ratchet bar nearest the post attaching means of the mainsupporting bar.

2. A wire stretcher, comprising a main supporting bar having its edgesextended at right angles and then inwardly toward each other, an armfixed to one end of said bar and having at its outer end a hook formedwith an opening in one side, a lateral extension on said arm adjacent tothe main supporting bar, a hook on said lateral extension, a chain fixedto one end of said lateral extension and designed to be engaged by saidhook, a wire gripper on the end of said chain, a ratchet bar slidinglymounted between the edges of the main supporting bar and ofapproximately the same length as the main supporting bar, a grip deviceon one end thereof, a lever fulcrumed to the end of the main supportingbar opposite from said arm and two pawls pivoted to the opposite sidesof the fulcrum of said lever and each having a curved extension toengage the sides of the main supporting bar and to force the pawlstoward the ratchet bar, as the lever approaches one end of its movement.

Des Moines, Iowa, May 15, 1906.

PEARL LEWIS MARTIN.

